Feadship has launched the 83.50-metre (273ft) Savannah, the first superyacht to feature an eco-friendly blend of single diesel engine, three gensets, batteries, propeller, azimuting thruster and a streamlined hull shape. Offering fuel economies of thirty per cent, the pioneering electro-mechanical propulsion platform marries Feadship’s past experience and forward thinking approach within a pure custom creation. Further innovation comes in the form of a floating superstructure, an underwater lounge, the ‘open’ aft deck areas, and much more besides.
Inspired by the 2010 Feadship Future Concept Breathe, Savannah is a demonstration of the cost-effective and cleaner mode of propulsion that can be achieved within an entirely bespoke superyacht. Savannah has a dynamic hull shape with a very fine entry, uses one efficient medium-speed Wärtsilä main engine instead of two higher-rev diesel motors, a single central propeller shaft installation on the centreline and three gensets.
Redundancy is ensured by fitting a large contra-rotating and azimuthing sternthruster just aft of the main propeller. The design of the aft ship allows for a propeller that is forty per cent larger than the norm. Combined with the power supplied by the thruster, the load on the propeller is only half that of a conventional twin screw yacht. This again results in a higher efficiency and fewer vibrations. In addition, the large sternthruster also ensures excellent manoeuvrability in marinas.